Of War and Omens
Liber AL vel Legis aka Book of the Law, is the central text of Thelema. It was received by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt, in the year 1904.
The messenger who revealed this Word was Aiwas; the one who Crowley identified as his guardian angel. However Aiwas introduced other godforms as speakers in the course of the Cairo revelation - those being Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Nuit is the goddess of the night sky or as Crowley named her “Lady of the Starry Heaven”. Hadit is best understood as the complement of Nuit, the point at the center of Nuit’s vast expanse. Everything that exists in the manifested universe comes from the “marriage” of Nuit and Hadit. The third speaker in Liber al vel Legis is identified as Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the crowned and conquering child.
In the third verse of His chapter, Ra-Hoor-Khuit identifies himself as the God of War. It should be remembered that Ra-Hoor-Khuit is also the indwelling power in the life of the initiate, and thus serves as a very specific spiritual force in the realization of Thelemic will. For this reason many assume his warlike self-description refers to “inner battles” of a spiritual nature. This is true, but the larger global struggle can’t be overlooked without risk of the Word of Thelema becoming reclusive and inward looking.
Let me state that there is much disagreement among pagans, followers of Thelema and others when it comes to the subject of war. Some view the Iraq war in typical leftist terms; a conspiracy launched by big oil and other right wing interests. This view places the war into the usual predictable political narrative. Others, including myself, see it differently. We view it as a crucially important engagement; another step in the ongoing crisis that will eventually lead to a collapse of the power of the three dominant Abrahamic religions .
When the build-up to this war began, I decided along with others of like mind, to back the American invasion. As you know there are many of the pagan persuasion currently serving in the US military. I used the language of the Xtian crusaders for a time and identified with their hubris in order to hasten the engagement. Astrological and other signs encouraged us to believe that this American advance into Iraq was critical in order to set the scene for events that will occur in the Middle East during this incoming decade; events that are pivotal to the emergence of the new cycle.
After Fallujah (according to certain key signs), we passed a tipping point, and the dye was cast as far as future events are concerned. As the knavery, double dealing and treachery of the Bush administration became more apparent, even "mercernaries" fighting under the flag began to balk. Many marines and other service people of pagan background, had increasing difficulty staying the course when the extent of the criminal mishandling of the campaign became evident. Nonetheless the Iraq campaign, and the fronts that opened in Lebanon recently, are signs of what is to come. The rows of dominoes have begun to collapse as the stage is set for a war that will make all of these fights seem like minor skirmishes. There will be temporary "peace treaties" and interim arrangements in the years to come, but this will not prevent the eventual slide into the abyss. Other great powers will be drawn in when that time comes, notably Russia.
Over the centuries the Christian church has been a tool in the expansionist designs of monarchs. It has initiated inquisitions, crusades and witch hunts with the aim of rooting out heretics - but in so doing has broken every tenet advocated by Jesus Christ who taught love and compassion, even to the point of turning the other cheek. They employed torture even genocide to ensure that the cross ruled victorious. This isn’t a religion, it is a power cult. Of course I defend the right of Christians to carry the cross of Christendom, in fact I actively encourage it, because the emergence of the new cycle is predicated on destruction.
In more recent years we have seen the explosion of a depth bomb within the catholic church. Children have been routinely abused by pedophile priests for decades, perhaps centuries. This crime has been buried and denied by church authorities for a very long time. How can a church representing the gospel of Jesus be in the business of creating a safe haven for abusers? How can these arch hypocrites masquerading in his name, sustain a culture of denial, and only step up to the plate when they are forced to do so by public outcry and rule of law?
There are also encouraging developments in some Christian denominations. We are seeing the inclusion of more women and gays in the clergy, and a move away from the traditional tenets toward a more inclusive and nature based focus. The theological dogma is less evident in such churches, and there seems to be a questing for a new synthesis.
I appeal to those of Thelema and also others of like mind, to discern the underlying truth of this struggle in the Middle East. Liber AL vel Legis and powerful astrological indicators point to the destruction to come. This apocalypse is not simply a consequence of emerging military/political realities, but is connected to a higher design; a design related to planetary forces.
Despite horrendous destruction, the future apocalypse will drive the human spirit forward into a new cycle of evolution, transcending the oppressive power of monotheism with its guilt complex and unbridled hypocrisy. We are witnessing the death throes of these patriarchal religions. Of course, it is naive to assume that they will simply disappear. They will linger on, but with their power and influence critically compromised.
Love is the law, love under will - AL I:57
